


The Drowned Girl

by XxmerthurcatxX



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aged up characters, Angst, Avengers and X-Men in the same universe, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, INFINITY WAR SPOILERS (mostly just hinted at but just a heads up), Learning to control powers, Loki redemption because I love him, M/M, Peter Parker is 21, Steve and Bucky are dumb about feelings, T'Challa is everyone's life coach and he doesn't even realize it, This fic has nothing to do with my other two Avengers fics, lots of fluff though i promise, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-02 20:02:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14552487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxmerthurcatxX/pseuds/XxmerthurcatxX
Summary: Daisy stared up at the clouds overhead. They were dark grey and angry, stretching out wide and preventing any blue sky from peeking through. She frowned. She hated the rain. It was quiet when it rained. The streets void of people who were all too eager to stay indoors and hunker down before the storm came.Peter is taken with the girl staying in the tower while they figure out what the bad dudes want with her, but she doesn't seem to like him much...right?





	1. Chapter One

Daisy stared up at the clouds overhead. They were dark grey and angry, stretching out wide and preventing any blue sky from peeking through. She frowned. She hated the rain. It was quiet when it rained. The streets void of people who were all too eager to stay indoors and hunker down before the storm came.

 

Sighing, Daisy pulled the strap of her bag tighter across her shoulder and headed to the theatre, grateful it was only a short walk from her apartment. There would be a performance tonight. Rain or shine. Most of the other dancers were there already when she arrived.

 

“There you are! Rain started up yet?” Beth asked, twisting a curl perfectly into place before applying a liberal amount of hairspray to her intricate updo.

 

“No yet,” she said, plunking down next to her and getting started on her own hair. She twisted half of her long blonde locks up into a simple but elegant bun and then braided the hair she had left down before wrapping it around the bun and sticking about fifty bobby pins in to keep it in place.

 

“What is it with you and the rain? I mean, I’m not a huge fan either, but you seem to really hate it.”

 

Daisy shrugged.

 

“It’s quiet when it rains. I don’t like it when I can hear myself think.”

 

“Right,” Beth said, rolling her eyes good naturedly before turning to talk to the dancer on her left.

 

Daisy slipped her earbuds in, turning her music up just this shy of too loud.

 

She got ready quickly, eager to warm up. She wasn’t the principal dancer, but she was a featured soloist and her spot in the company next year was riding on this. Andre, her mildly terrifying Russian teacher, had told her she impressed the panel last year, but there was new talent coming in every year and as she’d been with the company for a little less than a year, her spot was not yet permanent.

 

She tied her pointe shoes tight at each ankle and found a space on the floor, sliding into a split. Eyes closed she ran through the choreography in her head, knowing she wouldn’t have much time in the wings to run it beforehand.

 

All too soon places were being called and she was being herded into the wings with the rest of the ballerinas.

 

“Merde!” Beth said, blowing her kisses of good luck as Daisy took her place while the overture began. Starting the show was always nerve wracking, but she felt ready. Ready to dance and forget the rain and everything else in her life.

 

The curtain rose and she was already on her toes, fluttering across the stage, arms outstretched behind her like wings. She let her grand jete carry her to center stage and was about to start on the pirouettes when she accidentally locked eyes with a man sitting in the front row.

 

Energy coursed through her entire body and suddenly she was in his head, staring at herself, frozen onstage. She tried to scream but nothing came out. She felt the man’s confusion, watching the frozen ballerina onstage and wondering what could have happened. Did she forget the steps?

 

Daisy tried to remember how to breathe. She could get back to her body. She could do it. She just needed to focus. Count to three. One. Two. Th-

 

She jolted back into her own head as the curtain was being brought down in front of her. Beth was at her side in a second.

 

“What the hell happened?” she asked, wrapping an arm around her shaking friend.

 

Daisy swallowed hard, breathing laboured.

 

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“So, anyone know what this meeting is about?” Peter asked, plunking down in the conference room next to Steve.

 

“It’s Tony. It could be anything,” Steve sighed.

 

On cue Tony strode into the room, files in hand, serious look on his face for once.

 

“Straight to business. Everyone hear the story about the ballerina who froze on stage last week?” he asked.

 

There were nods all around. It had been a pretty big deal. There was news coverage and everything. A ballerina freezing on stage for a solid five minutes, not moving, barely breathing, wasn’t exactly par for the course for the American Ballet Theatre.

 

“Got a call from Fury, who was in touch with a Professor Charles Xavier. According to him, this girl, Daisy Norwick, is in danger,” Tony continued, pulling up a picture of said ballerina on his screen. Peter's eyes widened. She was beautiful. Long blonde hair and deep olive green eyes. A smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. He shook his head, berating himself for thinking she was attractive when he was supposed to be focused on what they could do to keep her safe. “The details are all vague, but apparently she’s extremely dangerous,” Stark added.

 

“She’s just a kid,” Bucky said. “She can’t be much older than twenty.”

 

“Twenty-two. She can get into people’s heads and Xavier seems to think that’s just the beginning. The wrong people have started poking around, asking the professor if he knew anything about her. Could be Hydra for all we know.”

 

“So what’s the plan exactly?” Peter asked.

 

“Fury wants us to bring her here. Keep an eye on her until we can figure out exactly what they want her for,” Tony explained.

 

“Right. How do we get her here without her thinking we’re kidnapping her?” Clint asked.

 

“We’re a little intimidating,” Nat agreed.

 

“Not all of us,” Tony said, sending a pointed look at Peter.

 

“Me? Oh come on, I’m intimidating!”

 

Several of the other Avengers chuckled at the look of indignation on the youngest member’s face. He was twenty one now, but as far as they were concerned he may well still be sixteen.

 

“You’re the closest to her age kiddo.”

 

“What am I supposed to say to her? Hey, there might be some bad dudes after you and I’m gonna need you to come with me, a guy you’ve never met before, so I can take you someplace safe.”

 

“You think I’d send you out there on your own? Cap’s going with you.”

 

“Am I?” Steve asked, arching a brow.

 

“Yes. Make sure the kid doesn’t get into any trouble. Plus, you’re a dreamboat, especially with that beard. Trust me, she’s gonna wanna come with you,” Tony said.

 

Steve huffed, shaking his head and getting to his feet.

 

“Alright, fine. Come on kid.”

 

“What, now?” Peter asked.

 

“No time like the present,” Tony said, all but shoving the two out the door.

 

Peter sighed, following after Steve. He may be the one closest to her age, but he had no clue how to talk to her.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When they got to her apartment Steve slowed, motioningly for Peter to wait. The door was open a crack. There was a rustling inside followed by a muffled scream. Steve didn’t hesitate, kicking the door open and bursting into the room just in time to see two men. One of them was placing a bag over the girl’s head, while the other held her still. They froze when they saw Steve.

 

“What seems to be the problem gentlemen?” he asked.

 

The man who was holding the girl shoved her out of the way, pulling out a gun and aiming it at Steve, who caught the man’s arm, easily twisting it behind his back. The other man ran at him, his nightstick buzzing as he turned on the taser.

 

“Peter get the girl!” Steve shouted, grunting as the taser was shoved into his side.

 

He did as he was told, knowing Steve would have the two men down for the count in no time. The girl hadn’t moved from her spot on the floor, though she struggled against her wrist restraints. Peter reached out to untie them. She jerked hard away from his touch.

 

“Whoa, whoa, easy, take it easy Daisy. It’s okay. I’m one of the good guys. Here, let me help,” he pulled the bag off her head and his heart clenched.

 

Daisy’s eyes were wild, full of fear, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was a gag across her mouth. He swallowed hard, reaching out slowly as not to frighten her.

 

“I’m just gonna untie the gag, okay?” he said, eyes searching hers.  


She trembled hard, but gave a short nod. He untied it quickly, letting it fall to the floor and then setting to work on getting her wrists free. As soon as he got them loose she threw herself toward him, arms wrapping tightly around his neck as she hid her face in his shoulder and continued to cry.

 

He glanced up to see Steve staring at him, having long since knocked out the two men as he mimed for him to put his arms around her. Peter did, rubbing her back soothingly.

 

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

 

After what felt like forever Steve cleared his throat.

 

“We need to get her out of here. They might send more.”

 

Peter nodded, looking down at Daisy who didn’t seem to have plans of letting go anytime soon.

 

“Listen we have to go. It’s not safe for you to stay here. Can-can you walk?” he asked.

 

She shook her head, clinging tighter to him.

 

“Okay. That’s okay. I’ll just-

 

It took a little effort but he managed to get an arm under her knees and scoop her up as he got to his feet. He tried to mask a grunt with a cough. She wasn’t super heavy but she was practically dead weight.

 

“Need me to take her?” Steve offered.

 

Peter shook his head.

 

“Nah, I got her,” he said, not missing the way her arms tightened around him further. He nearly dropped her in surprise when she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered a soft “thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back, sliding into the back of the car Tony had knowingly sent along (of course) and ignoring the look Steve was giving him from the seat next to him.

 

Sometime on the way to the tower Daisy had fallen asleep and Peter huffed as he once again lifted her into his arms and carried her to the elevator.

 

“So...how’d it go?” Tony asked as they stepped out of the elevator.

 

“Shh, she’s asleep. Steve can fill you in. Where should I put her?” Peter asked.

 

“I had a room made up for her. Down the hall to the left. It’s a few doors down from your room.”

 

Peter nodded, heading down the hall quickly. Honestly she was starting to get a little heavy after carrying her for so long, but he didn’t want to admit it to Steve. He pushed the door open with his hip and laid her down gently on the bed, pulling the blanket up over her shoulder.

 

As she curled into the pillow, letting out a soft content sound he felt his heart clench again. Uh oh.


	2. Chapter Two

Daisy woke with a start, sitting bolt upright and immediately scanning her surroundings. This wasn’t her room. This wasn’t her bed. This wasn’t her boy sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, wait-what?

The events of the previous night came flooding back to her. First there were bad men trying to kidnap her, then the “good guys” showed up and she cried all over one of her supposed rescuers, they had taken her back here, and now said rescuer was sleeping in a chair in the room she’d also been sleeping in. She shook her head, feeling dizzy from the rush of memories. 

She slipped out of bed, glancing down at herself. She was still in the same clothes; black leggings and an oversized blue button up. How long had she been asleep? What time was it even? Figuring the questions could be answered better if she had someone to ask, and not wanting to wake up the boy sleeping in the chair, she left the room and headed down the hallway, albeit a little cautiously. Though they claimed to have taken her to a safe place, she couldn’t be sure. 

Daisy was surprised when she came to the end of the hallway and stepped into a huge open concept kitchen, living room, and dining room. It was extravagant to say the least. She crept toward the kitchen, opening a few drawers until she found a knife. Better safe than sorry. 

“Hey kiddo, sleep okay?”

She jumped, hiding the knife behind her back as she turned to see Tony Stark leaning against the counter drinking a glass of orange juice. 

“I-I, uh, you’re Tony Stark. That...okay. Uh, where am I? How long was I asleep? Who were the guys who broke into my apartment? And why-

“Whoa, slow down. First things first. You can put the knife down, you’re not gonna need it. Want some juice?” he asked. 

She hesitated. As far as she knew Iron Man was a good guy. Something told her she could trust him. She nodded, setting the knife down before sitting on one of the stools at the counter and taking the glass of juice he slid toward her. 

“You’re at the Avengers tower. I’m Tony, which you already know. It’s Saturday, at ten in the morning. You slept for quite a while, but that’s totally normal when something traumatic happens. Any other questions?”

“Who’s the kid who was sleeping in the chair in the room I was in?” she asked, taking a sip of juice. 

“Peter. After he helped rescue you he was worried. He didn’t want you to wake up alone and freak out.”

Daisy blushed, nervously fidgeting as she recalled how she’d clung to him the day before. That wasn’t like her. Normally she kept her distance from people. She looked up to see Tony studying her. 

“You know, don’t you?” she asked quietly.

Tony didn’t need to ask what she mean. 

“I do.”

“How?”

“A Professor Charles Xavier got in touch with one of our higher ups. Asked us to keep an eye on you.”

“I should have known,” Daisy said, shaking her head. “He offered to take me in at his school. Teach me how to control my...I don’t even know what to call them. I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I don’t even know you,” she said suddenly, getting to her feet so fast she nearly knocked over the stool and taking a few steps backwards, stopping when she collided with something solid. She whirled around to see the other man who had rescued her, who she now recognized as Steve Rogers. Captain America, in the flesh. 

“Everything okay?” he asked, brow furrowing in concern 

“I-I wanna go home,” she said, hating the way her voice shook. 

“That’s probably not the best idea right now,” Steve said gently. 

“The Professor asked us to keep you safe and the best way to do that is to have you here with us,” Tony said. 

“Keep me safe? From who?” She asked. 

“We’re not exactly sure, but until we figure it out we’d like to--

“TONY! TONY SHE’S GONE!”

All three of them jumped as someone shouted from down the hall. Peter ran into view a moment later, chest heaving and eyes a little on the wild side. 

“TONY! SHE’S...standing in the kitchen drinking juice,” he trailed off, a red blush creeping up his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 

“Come on kid, you really think we’d lose her already? She’s been here less than a day,” Tony said. 

“I woke up and she was gone and I just wanted to make sure she was okay,” Peter mumbled. 

Daisy felt herself blush. The boy from the night before. Seeing him now she was suddenly embarrassed about the way she’d behaved when he’d rescued her. He was cute. And kinda hot with his hair messy and shirt rumpled from spending the night in a chair. She was so used to keeping people at a distance she’d forgotten what it was like to be held close, the way he’d held her yesterday. But she couldn’t let herself get closer than she already had. It wasn’t safe. For her. For him. For anyone. 

“Moving on, what do you say Daisy? Will you stay? It’ll be a hell of a lot easier to keep you safe if we don’t have to chase you all over the city,” Tony said, offering her a genuine smile. 

“I mean, I don’t think I have much of a choice. I’ll stay. But, what about my ballet classes? Can I still go?” she asked. 

“Of course you can kiddo. Someone will have to escort you though.”

Daisy huffed. 

“Oh, great.”

“We’d also like to offer the option of learning to control your powers. If that’s what you choose to call them. None of us here can do what you can, but we’ve got friends in high places. Only if you’re interested of course,” Steve told her. She could tell from his tone he was hoping she would say yes. 

She thought for a moment, taking a sip of the juice she’d nearly forgotten as an excuse to give herself more time to formulate a response. On the one hand, she’d hidden them for so long, tried to keep a lid on them, she was scared of what might happen if she let it out. If she admitted to herself exactly what she had the power to do. On the other hand, if she could control it, maybe it wouldn’t terrify her so much. Maybe she wouldn’t be so scared to get close to people. 

She nodded, unable to put everything she was thinking into words. The present company seemed to understand as Tony smiled and Steve gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

“Cool, now that that’s settled, want a tour?” Peter asked, grinning at her. 

Daisy swallowed, ignoring the way her heart skipped. She couldn’t get close. She couldn’t. Not when she was like lightning in a bottle. Not before she’d learned control. But one look at the hopeful smile on his face and she couldn’t help it. 

“Sure. A tour would be nice.”


	3. Chapter Three

Despite having to leave her apartment to hide out at Avengers Tower, Daisy’s life went on pretty much as it had before. She still went to dance, escorted by one of the team at all times. The first morning she’d walked into the kitchen to see Steve and Bucky playing rock paper scissors to decide who had to tail her was the day she started to feel more comfortable around them. They were just people. People with weird abilities, but still people. 

 

Learning to control her powers was another story. Tony had called in the big guns on this one. Black Panther himself was to be her teacher. Apparently he’d helped rewire Bucky’s brain in Wakanda so he was the most qualified that they had to help her come to understand what she could do. 

 

_ “Daisy, T’Challa. T’Challa, Daisy,” Tony said, by way of introduction before excusing himself and leaving the two of them alone in one of the rooms on the training floor. The tower had a floor for friggin everything. Daisy had figured that out pretty quickly.  _

 

_ “Pleasure to meet you Daisy,” T’Challa said, offering a small, polite bow.  _

 

_ “Um, and you. Your highness,” she said, pulling out her ballet curtsy. She wasn’t sure what proper protocol was with royalty and she didn’t want to be rude. T’Challa smiled.  _

 

_ “You may call me T’Challa. We are going to be spending quite a bit of time together after all.” _

 

_ She nodded, feeling slightly embarrassed at her own formality.  _

 

_ “We will start off simple. Why don’t you tell me, in your own words, exactly what it is you can do.” _

 

_ Daisy swallowed, pushing down the nervous pit forming in her stomach. This is what he was here for. To teach her. She figured he couldn’t very well do so without a firm grasp on her...powers. Still, she’d never tried to put it into words before. Not really anyway. She took a breath, knowing she had to try.  _

 

_ “I can get into people’s heads a-and I don’t mean just like, reading their minds. I mean literally. Well, not literally because my body doesn't shrink down and enter someone’s mind or anything like that, but I-it’s like I’m actually in their head. I can walk around. Open doors to their thoughts and memories. I’m sorry, that doesn’t make a lot of sense does it?” _

 

_ “On the contrary Daisy, it makes perfect sense. From what I can gather, it seems to be something like astral projection. Your body stays in place, but your consciousness enters the mind. Is that right?” T’Challa asked. _

 

_ “Yes. Exactly. And if I’m being honest, I have no idea how to make it happen. I’ve never tried to do it on purpose. It happens on it’s own. Like my body can’t help itself. If I latch onto someone’s mind, that’s it. I’m in.” _

 

_ “It is perfectly normal not to know how to control your powers at first. And if you are being honest, I will be too. I can’t do what you can do. I don’t know anyone off the top of my head who can. Mind readers, of course, but you have something different. But I swear, I will share with you all I know and when I have nothing left to share, we will find you someone new,” T’Challa promised, offering her his hand. _

 

_ Daisy smiled, small and shy and shook his hand.  _

 

_ “Good. Let’s get to work,” he said, grinning at her.  _

 

That was nearly a month ago now and though progress was slow, it was going well. 

 

“Once more!” T’Challa called. 

 

Daisy sighed. Once more. That was his favorite phrase. And, as she had learned very quickly, once more never actually meant one more time. 

 

Tony sat across from her, looking bored. 

 

“Come on kid, I’m an open book. There’s nothing in my head that hasn’t already been splashed across tabloids. Nothing to be scared of.”

 

“I know about your personal life Tony. There’s lots to be scared of,” she said, smirking when he rolled his eyes. 

 

“Once more!” T’Challa called again. 

 

Daisy took a long breath, centering herself. She counted to ten and then back again. Tony was right. He was safe. And he was willing to let her much around in his head. She could do this. She needed to focus. 

 

T’Challa had told her on day one that she was going to be her own worst enemy. The self doubt she’d built up over the years was going to be hard to overcome. She let out the breath she’d been holding, feeling energy flowing evenly through her body. She focused on her own breathing and then, slowly, tuned in to Tony’s. He was eerily calm for someone about to have their mind invaded. 

 

The second she opened her eyes they locked onto his. She fought the urge to squint, knowing it did nothing to aid the process. Instead to steadied herself, remembering to breathe, let the energy flow and--on her next exhale she was there. In his mind. 

 

Daisy took in her surroundings. It was dark, but not so much so she couldn’t see, and there were doors everywhere. 

 

“Good. Very good. Now, walk to a door and open it,” T’Challa’s voice drifted into Tony’s mind and thus, into hers. 

 

This was the part where she always got stuck. It was so personal. Someone else’s thoughts. But she pushed through it this time, reaching out and turning the knob of the first door she came to. At once she was transported into the memory. 

 

_ A blonde woman, who she recognized as Pepper Potts, was pacing back and forth in front of Tony’s desk, berating him about skipping out on a benefit he was supposed to attend.  _

 

_ “You have to admit, it was mind numbingly dull,” Tony said, taking a bite out of a blueberry poptart.  _

 

_ “It was a benefit for you! For all you accomplished this year! The least you could have done is stay to hear some of the toasts,” Pepper snapped.  _

 

_ “They’re always the same Pepper. Thank you for all you’ve done Mr. Stark. Care to donate even more money Mr. Stark?” _

 

_ “Oh please, it wasn’t like that and you know it.” _

 

_ Tony got to his feet, circling around the desk and coming to stand in front of Pepper. He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.  _

  
  


_ “I’m sorry. Okay? I am. I promise, if it upsets you that much, I won’t do it again,” he said.  _

 

_ “I’m still mad at you,” she told him, trying to frown but failing.  _

 

_ “I know,” Tony grinned, leaning in for a kiss.  _

 

_ Pepper met him halfway, trailing her hands up his arms to wrap around his neck. Daisy’s heart clenched. It had been too long, years even, since she’d been kissed like that. Hell, since she’d been kissed at all. It was too much.  _

 

She exited the memory quickly, heading back to point zero. Exiting a mind was always easier than entering one. She focused her breathing, one, two-

 

On her next breath she was back in her own body, blinking at the brightness of the room. 

 

“What happened?” Tony asked. “What did you see?”

 

“Hmm? Oh, just a memory of you and Pepper talking in your office.”

 

“Did we-

 

“No! Don’t be gross.”

 

“That was very good. The longest you've stayed in someone’s mind so far,” T’Challa said, squeezing her shoulder. 

 

She offered what she hoped was a convincing smile. T’Challa frowned. 

 

“Enough for today. We’ll continue next week. I think you could use a weekend off.”

 

This time the smile was genuine. Daisy got to her feet, saying a quick goodbye to the two men and all but running back to her room. She needed a shower. She was almost home free when-

 

“Oof!” she huffed as she knocked into something solid. 

 

She flailed for a moment, but whatever, or as it turns out whoever, it was caught her around the waist and steadied her. 

 

“Oops. My bad.”

 

Daisy’s heart dropped. She glanced up to see Peter grinning sheepishly down at her. His arm still around her waist, Daisy froze, blinking at him stupidly. 

 

“Uh, i-it’s fine.”

 

They stared at each other, both seemingly stuck in the moment before Peter’s brain seemed to catch up with his actions and he let go of her waist, running a hand through his hair. That was a nervous habit of his Daisy had picked up on that very first day in the kitchen. 

 

“Where were you headed in such a hurry?” Peter asked, eager to move on from their awkward moment. 

 

“My room. Just got done with training for the day. I was gonna take a shower,” she said, feeling very self conscious under his gaze. 

 

“Oh. Right. Um, don’t let me get in your way.”

 

He stepped to the side and she practically bolted past him. 

 

Once she was safely in her room she leaned against the door, sighing and shaking her head as she huffed a laugh. 

 

“Smooth,” she whispered to herself. 

 

She’d stopped trying to deny her crush on Peter after week one. There was something about him that drew her in, but she knew she couldn’t let it go further. Even if he felt the same way, which she was pretty sure he didn’t, she didn’t trust herself. But God, the place his hand had been on her waist was still hot from his touch. 

 

Daisy shook the thought from her head and climbed into the shower, determined not to think about Peter. At least for the rest of the night. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Still nothing on who might be after the kid, huh?” Bucky asked, plunking down next to Steve on the couch and snitching a file off the table. 

 

“No,” Steve sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and hiding his face in his hands, “if it’s hydra, they’re deep deep underground this time. We’re still waiting on a few of Nat’s contacts, but it’s not looking good.”

 

“Relax Stevie, we’ll find something. We always do,” Bucky said, reaching over and giving the back of Steve’s neck a gentle squeeze. 

 

Steve groaned softly under the touch as Bucky started to knead his shoulders, easing some of the tension. Bucky shifted closer, using both hands now and pretty successfully turning the super soldier into a puddle of goo. Steve turned his head to the side, eyes locking with Bucky’s, then shifting down to his lips. 

 

Bucky’s tongue darted out to wet his lips and he watched Steve’s eyes track the motion. So...he hadn’t been reading this wrong. Feeling pretty good about his chances he leaned in, nearly brushing their lips together. Steve was off the couch so fast it made Bucky dizzy. 

 

“What? What’s wrong?” he asked, genuinely mistified. 

 

“W-we can’t Buck,” Steve said, looking down at his hands. 

 

“And why the hell not?” Bucky asked, getting to his feet. 

 

“I don’t want to,” Steve said lamely. 

 

“Bullshit. You were game two seconds ago, what gives?”

 

“Please. Please Buck I just...I can’t.”

 

Bucky swallowed, biting his lip and swallowing hard. 

 

“Well...that's...You know what? Fuck you Stevie,” he whispered, voice breaking. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. 

 

Steve sighed, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes. Bucky was right. Fuck him.


	4. Chapter Four

Daisy knew something was wrong the second she woke up. The air was buzzing with energy and there was a sense of unease. She threw the blankets off her and ran down the hall to the source; Peter’s room. Several of the Avengers were already there. 

 

“What’s going on?” she asked, pushing past them to get into the room. 

 

Tony was on the edge of the bed, hands on Peter’s shoulders, shaking him hard. 

 

“Wake up! Come on kid, wake the hell up!”

 

Peter screamed, thrashing around and nearly punching Tony in the face.

 

“We heard him screaming and when we came in he was like this. He won’t wake up. We’ve tried everything,” Steve said, arms crossed tight over his chest as he tried to look strong. There was no mistaking the tremor in his voice. 

 

Daisy made her way to the bed, putting a gentle hand on Tony’s shoulder. He jumped, turning to look at her and barely dodging an elbow to the face. 

 

“Let me,” she said. 

 

“Are you sure? I know you’ve been making progress the last few weeks, but his eyes are closed. Can you get into his head if you can’t make eye contact?” Tony asked, looking just as worried as Daisy felt. 

 

“I don’t know,” she told him honestly, “but I have to try.”

 

Tony nodded, shuffling over for her to sit next to him on the bed while he continued to try to hold Peter still, which Daisy was thankful for. Her body would be out of commission while she was in his head, so she wouldn’t be able to dodge his flying limbs. 

 

She took a breath, centering herself like she always did, then leaned forward and pressed a gentle hand to Peter’s cheek. He stilled a little under her touch, something she tried not to read too much into. Breathe, she reminded herself. All of T’Challa’s training cycled through in her mind. 

 

_ “If you can get yourself to point zero, you can go anywhere. Into anyone’s mind. You will not need to look into their eyes. Point zero makes you a blank canvas.” _

 

One breath led into another and her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to put herself in Peter’s shoes. On her next breath she knew she was in his head. She opened her eyes slowly, glancing around. 

 

It was dark, just as it always was in someone’s mind, but she knew here way around by now. Every mind was different, but they followed the same patterns; had the same basic layout. She headed toward the door she knew all his dreams were behind, stealing her resolve. Dreams. Different from memories. It was new territory for sure, but if it meant making sure Peter was okay, she could do it. She pushed open the door and was immediately dropped into his dream

 

Everything was loud. Screaming and explosions everywhere and then it went silent. That was never good. She scanned the area for any sign of Peter, her heart dropping when she saw him. 

 

“Mr. Stark, I don’t feel so good,” he said, stumbling forward as he moved toward Tony. 

 

Tony caught him as he fell. 

 

“Please, please, I don’t wanna go. Please.”

 

Daisy was running before she realized it, shoving dream Tony out of the way and grabbing Peter by the shoulders, forcing him to look at her. 

 

“Peter, listen, it’s Daisy. Can you see me? Can you hear me?”

 

He looked confused for a moment before recognition flashed across his face. 

 

“Daisy. What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here? It’s not safe!”

 

“You’re in Avengers tower, in bed, but you’re stuck. Please, you have to wake up.”

 

“I-I can’t. Over and over again. Always the same. I get to this part a-and it starts all over again. I-

 

“I’m here now and I’m not gonna let the dream take you again, but I need you to get up. There’s a way out of here, but you have to come with me. I’ll show you. It’s just a dream, I promise.”

 

Peter’s eyes searched her face and she was relieved when he nodded. She helped him to his feet, keeping a tight hold of his hand as she took off running, half dragging him with her. 

 

“Daisy, I-it’s happening again! I’m disappearing!” he yelled. 

 

“No you’re not! It’s a dream Peter, it’s a dream! Keep running!” she ordered. 

 

She could see the door now and there was no way in hell she was leaving him here. Her lungs were burning. Huh, even in the dream world running sucked. Her hand closed around the knob and she flung the door open without a thought, pulling Peter through with her. 

 

They collapsed together, breathing hard. 

 

“See. Just a dream,” she said when she’d gotten her breath back. 

 

“Some dream,” he muttered. 

 

She huffed a laugh. 

 

“If I go, do you think you can wake up?” 

 

“Will, um, will you be there when I open my eyes?” he asked, eyes meeting hers shyly. 

 

Her heart clenched. 

 

“Of course.”

 

He nodded, giving her the go ahead. She closed her eyes and took a breath and when she opened them she was back in her own body. 

 

“Is he okay? What happened?” Tony asked immediately. 

 

Daisy ignored him, brushing Peter’s sweaty bangs from his forehead. He stirred under her fingers, eyes slowly blinking open. His eyes landed on Daisy immediately and he practically threw himself at her, locking his arms around her back and clinging to her for dear life. 

 

“Right...glad you’re okay...we’ll just...go,” Steve said awkwardly, dragging Tony to his feet and ushering the other Avengers out of the room. 

 

Daisy could tell her face was bright red, the blush darkening when Tony threw her a knowing look over his shoulder. Peter hid his face in the curve of her neck, sniffling softly as his arms tightened around her. 

 

“Hey, hey it’s okay. You’re awake Peter. I’m here,” she murmured, pressing her lips to the crown of his head and rubbing his back slowly. 

 

This was too close. She shouldn’t be this close. Control be damned, with people after her Peter wouldn’t be safe. She couldn’t help but allow herself this moment, to hold him for as long as he needed. It felt good. To be needed. To be touched like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. 

 

He pulled back to look at her, wiping impatiently at the tears trailing down his cheeks. 

 

“M’sorry,” he said quietly. 

 

Daisy shook her head. 

 

“It’s okay. Remember when you rescued me? It’s only fair I return the favor,” she said, smiling. “Besides, from what I saw it was a pretty scary dream.”

 

Peter nodded slowly, letting his head drop forward onto her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his hair trying to him. His whole body was still shaking. 

 

“It happened you know. The dream. It happened for real a-and most nights I still dream about it. I’ve never gotten stuck like that before. Reliving it over and over again. God, it was bad enough the first time.”

 

Daisy let that sink in, brow furrowing as she connected the pieces in her mind. 

 

“You died,” she said, awe evident in her voice. 

 

“Yes,” he whispered. 

 

All these years of being terrified of her powers, of pushing people away. It had been horrible. But what Peter went through. Dying. Turning to ash. She couldn’t even imagine. Her arms tightened around him, every cell in her body begging her to protect this boy, to keep him safe. 

 

Daisy wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but when Tony yelled to them that Sam, who was undeniably the best cook, had made breakfast, they padded into the kitchen still in their pajamas. 

 

“Feeling better kid?” Tony asked as they sat down. 

 

Peter’s eyes flickered up to meet Daisy’s across the table. 

 

“Yeah. Much better.”

 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The rest of the day was uneventful compared to the morning. It was a ballet day and Steve lost rock paper scissors with Natasha so he was escorting her. They sat in comfortable silence in the back of the car as the driver navigated the streets. Daisy waited as long as she could and then she just couldn’t help it. 

 

“So what’s up with you and Bucky?” she asked. 

 

Steve choked on his coffee, face immediately going bright red. 

 

“W-what’s, nothing, what? Bucky? Nothings, uh, yeah.”

 

“Well...that clears it up,” Daisy said, arching a brow. 

 

Steve sighed. 

 

“It’s complicated.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know. Come on Steve, I won’t tell, I promise.”

 

Steve fidgetted, taking a long sip of his coffee before putting it safely in the cup holder. 

 

“Bucky tried to kissed me.”

 

“Okay...and?”

 

“You’re not surprised?”

 

“Uh, with the way you two look at each other? Not even a little. So what? Did he have bad breath or something?”

 

“No, nothing like that I just...I don’t want him to feel like he has to, um, think of me that way. Just because I think of him that way,” he admitted. 

 

“You think he tried to kiss you out of a sense of obligation,” Daisy said, filling in the blanks. 

 

“I know how it sounds but, yes.”

 

“Steve, that is a load of bullshit and you know it.”

 

“It’s not-

 

“Yes it is. It’s a cop out. You’re scared and that’s totally fine, but that’s an excuse. And, not that you asked for my advice but I’m gonna give it to you anyway, if I were you I’d talk to Bucky. Tell him how you’re feeling.”

 

“But what if he-

 

“Steve. He loves you. Take that however you want. Even if things don’t end up working out between the two of you, he’d still want to be your friend. He wouldn’t want you carrying this around."

 

Steve was quiet for a moment as he processed everything. 

 

“Okay, I’ll think about it. That’s my love life taken care of. Now, about yours,” Steve started, grinning at her. 

 

Daisy felt her cheeks heat up. 

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Oh please, if I have to watch you and Peter dance around each other much longer I’m gonna lock you two in a room until you sort your shit out.”

 

“Language,” Daisy grumbled. 

 

“You could ask him out. He’d say yes.”

 

“No he wouldn’t.”

 

“Yes he would. That kids been trailing after you like a puppy since we brought you to the tower.”

 

“Speaking of the tower, any word about the people who are after me?” Daisy asked. 

 

“No you don’t. Don’t change the subject. You grilled me on my love life, now it’s my turn.”

 

“Look, even if he did like me, and he doesn’t, I can’t. I’m better at controlling my powers now but I’m still like lightning in a bottle. And with mystery people after me it wouldn’t be safe for him.”

 

“He’s an avenger. We’re way past him being safe.”

 

Daisy was spared having to respond when they pulled up to the curb. She grabbed her dance bag and practically tuck and rolled out of the car while it was still moving. She ran up the steps and straight to the changing room, knowing Steve would make his way inside and hang out in the lobby until she was done.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“So, who did you bring today? Broody beard, cinnamon roll beard, scary redhead, or jailbait?” Beth asked as they stretched, waiting for Andre to clap for class to begin.

 

“What are you talking about?” Daisy asked, sliding easily into a split.

 

“Your escorts. Gotta say, having four people in your rotation seems a little much. How do you keep track?” Beth teased.

 

“My rotation...I’m not sleeping with them!”

 

“Uh huh, sure you’re not.”

 

“I’m not! They’re just friends.”

 

“Right. Friends who all happen to be ridiculously good looking. I didn’t know you were bi, but that redhead is gorgeous.”

 

Daisy rolled her eyes, glad that Andre chose that moment to clap so she was spared more of Beth’s teasing. 

 

Steve was, as always, waiting for her in one of the chairs in the lobby when she got out. 

 

“How was class?” he asked. 

 

“My friend Beth thinks I’m sleeping with you.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Because I keep showing up to class with you! Oh and not just you but, Bucky, Nat, and Peter too.”

 

“Well, one of those people you do actually want to sleep with,” he said, smirking. 

 

“Oh, shut up.”


	5. Chapter Five

Three months. Three fucking months and they were still no closer to figuring out who was after Daisy. Even Natasha’s contacts had fallen through and they had no new leads to follow. It wasn’t like Daisy was unhappy staying at Avengers Tower, but Peter could tell she was restless. Not that he blamed her. Being escorted everywhere she went and being in the dark about who wanted her couldn’t be easy. 

 

Peter’s eyes drifted to the girl who was seated next to him on the couch. It was movie night, because Tony thought they needed to “bond” as a team and had instituted mandatory movie nights every friday (as long as they weren’t off on a mission). It was Nat’s turn to pick and, as a horror movie buff, she’d gone with IT. Not everyone was keen on the horror genre, but no one was brave enough to argue with Nat. Daisy seemed to enjoy the humor of the film but every time something scary happened she sunk further into the couch. 

 

Peter’s fist clenched against his thigh as he fought the urge to wrap an arm around her. But they were friends right? That’s something friends did. It wasn’t weird. Just as he was working up the courage to do so Steve beat him to it, slinging an arm loosely around Daisy’s shoulders. He watched as Daisy smiled at Steve, snuggling closer as Pennywise grinned on screen, waving a dismembered hand at Mike. He excused himself, mumbling something about needing some air, and headed out to the balcony. 

 

“You wanna talk about it?”

 

Peter jumped, turning to see the Bucky had come to join him. He blinked at him. Bucky was cool but they weren’t exactly close. They’d never talked about anything even remotely resembling feelings. 

 

“Talk about what?” he asked, deciding to play dumb. 

 

“Don’t go there with me kid. You know what,” Bucky said, leaning against the railing and arching a brow. 

 

Peter sighed. 

 

“Is it that obvious?”

 

“Not to her. But to the rest of us? Yeah. You look at her like she hung the stars man.”

 

Peter huffed a laugh. 

 

“Guess I should work on that. Especially if she and Steve are...” he trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. 

 

“Steve is a lot of things, but cruel isn’t one of them. He wouldn’t do that. Not when...it doesn’t matter why he wouldn’t. He just...wouldn’t,” he finished lamely. 

 

Peter smiled sadly at the super soldier. If he was obvious about how he felt about Daisy the Bucky may well sky write “I’m in love with Steven Grant Rogers.” But from the set of Bucky’s jaw and the way his arms were crossed tight across his chest, he could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. 

 

“So, what, you think I have a shot?” Peter asked hopefully. 

 

Bucky shrugged. 

 

“Not for me to say. But if you’re gonna make a move, I’d do it soon. She’s a good one. If Steve doesn’t snap her up, which I-I don’t think he will, someone else will.”

 

Peter nodded. He knew Bucky was right. But if he told her and she didn’t feel the same way he didn’t want it to be awkward between them. She was already shy around him and this could make it worse. 

 

“I know what you’re thinking kid and I won’t lie, it hurts like hell when you get turned down. But I think we both know when it’s worth the risk right?” Bucky said, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. He didn’t wait for an answer, turning and heading back inside, leaving Peter to mull it over. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“We’re going to try something a little different today,” T’Challa said when Daisy stepped into the training room. 

 

There was a man she’d never seen before sitting in a chair. He had long black hair and wore a fitted black suit. She watched him size her up as she sat across from him. Not in a creepy way, just curious. 

 

“This is Loki. Thor’s brother.”

  
  


Daisy’s eyes widened. Loki. She’d heard stories. He’d mucked up a bunch of shit on Earth when he brought a friggin alien army down. As far she knew he was one of the bad guys. 

 

“Ah, you’ve heard of me then,” Loki sighed, throwing T’Challa a sideways glance. “I told you this was a bad idea. She doesn’t trust me already.”

 

“I can promise you Daisy there’s nothing to fear. He’s here to help. Thor owed me a favor and Loki owes Thor a million favors so, here we are.”

 

Daisy gave Loki an up down. Despite his slightly mischievous aura and his general “I’m better than you” demeanor, he was quite attractive. 

 

“Thank you.”

 

She jumped. Loki smirked at her. 

 

“Did you just read my mind?” she asked. 

 

“Not exactly. I am...very good at reading people. You looked me up and down and from the lack of grimace and the slight upturn of your lips I inferred that you find me appealing,” he explained. 

 

Daisy blushed. 

 

“I-I just, that’s a really nice suit a-and your hair is cool. I wasn’t, um-

 

Loki held up a hand to stop her rambling. 

 

“It’s alright. I sense there’s someone who already has your affections. That doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate pretty packaging.”

 

Daisy busted up laughing, especially when she caught T’Challa rolling his eyes.  

 

“If you’re finished flirting, I’d like us to get started. Loki is quite good at deflecting. I thought he would be good practice for you learning to get around mental blocks.”

 

Loki settled into his chair, crossing his legs and leaning back. He arched a brow at her and nodded for her to give it a try. 

 

The first attempt was so bad it was laughable. She succeeded in getting into his head, but no more than five seconds later she was skyrocketing back to her own body, the force of it so strong she actually fell out of her chair. 

 

By the end of the session she’d succeeded in staying in head for about a minute before he once again booted her out. 

 

“You are strong,” Loki told her, “there are not many who could accomplish that in so little time. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

 

He took her hand, pressing a kiss to it just to watch the blush rise to her cheeks before leaving with T’Challa for the day. 

 

Daisy changed quickly into the dance clothes she brought with her and headed down the hall to the studio. Tony had one of the conference rooms converted for her because, well, he was Tony Stark so he could. 

 

She took her time warming up, taking care to roll out her stiff muscles before she switched on her music. The Garland Waltz from Sleeping Beauty drifted through the ridiculous speakers Tony had put in and she took her place, deciding to forgo the point shoes in favor of bare feet. 

 

She drifted across the floor, pretending she had a partner like she did when she did Sleeping Beauty at her ballet school back in her teens. 

 

“You’re really good.”

 

Daisy nearly tripped on her next turn as she startled at the voice. She turned to see Peter leaning against the door, smiling sheepishly at her. 

 

“Oops, sorry. Probably not a good idea to talk to you when you’re dancing. I’ll just-

 

“You can stay,” she said, surprising herself. 

 

“Really? You don’t mind?” he asked. 

 

Daisy shook her head. 

 

Peter stepped further into the room. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her. 

 

“If I asked you to dance...would you say yes?” he asked, biting his lip nervously. 

 

Daisy swallowed. God she wanted to say yes so bad. She thought back to her talk with Steve. “ _ We’re way past him being safe _ .” He was right. And she was tired of denying herself what she wanted. Moving into the tower was, honestly, the best thing that ever happened to her. She was safe. She was more comfortable with her abilities. And she was surrounded by people who cared about her. Sure the threat of Hydra or whoever hanging over her was terrifying, but she was tired of being scared all the damn time. Fuck it. 

 

“You dance?” she asked, arching a brow. 

 

“Only the waltz,” he admitted, “my aunt May taught me.”

 

Daisy restarted the music. 

 

“Well, lucky for you, this is a waltz.”

 

Peter grinned as he placed one hand on the small of her back and offered his other hand for her to take. She took the offered hand and stepped closer, smiling as he started twirling her around the dance floor. 

 

They danced for ages, long after the music had changed to something that was definitely not a waltz. Neither of them seemed to care. Peter slowed them down until they were just rocking in place before he took a chance, leaning down and pressing his forehead to Daisy’s. He couldn’t fight the smile tugging at his mouth when he not only heard but  _ felt  _ her inhale sharply. Now or never. 

 

“Not to ruin the moment, but can I ask you something.”

 

“Mhmm, anything,” she whispered. 

 

“How come you avoid me? I mean, it’s not like you ignore me or anything, but I’ve noticed you keep your distance a-and I notice you’re definitely not doing that now and I just wondered...why?”

 

Daisy sighed, reaching up a hand and cupping his cheek and she pressed more firmly against him. 

 

“I was, I mean, I’m still...I’m scared,” she said quietly. 

 

“Scared? Of me?” he asked, pulling back and rubbing his hands down her arms. 

 

“No,” Daisy said, shaking her head, “of me. At first I didn’t want to put you in danger because I didn’t have a handle on my powers and I’ll admit that still freaks me out a little because T’Challa keeps telling me he thinks I’m capable of even more than we’ve already done. And then with these mystery people after me, I didn’t want to put you in danger.”

 

“I’m already in danger. I’m an Avenger,” he reminded her. 

 

“I know, that’s what Steve said. He told he I should just, go for it and I thought he was just giving me a hard time because I was giving him a hard time about Bucky, because those two really need to get their act together and I’m so sick of-

 

She cut off when she realized Peter was laughing. 

 

“It’s not funny! I’m trying to be honest here. I’ve been keeping people at a distance since my abilities first presented themselves, but I’m so tired of it. I’m tired of being alone and I-I’m tired of not being touched.”

 

Peter schooled his laughter, a light blush crawling up his cheeks at the implication of her words. 

 

“B-but you’d want to be, um, close with me? I don’t mean just like! Well...you know!”

 

Daisy laughed, reaching up to brush Peter’s hair out of his face. 

 

“Yes. In all the ways you’re thinking,” she told him, not sure where her sudden surge of bravery was coming from. 

 

The blush on his cheeks darkened and he took a step away from her, crossing his arms self consciously. 

 

“What? What’s the matter? Was that too forward? Oh god, I’m sorry I-

 

“No, no it’s not you. Just, if we’re gonna do this I gotta be honest. I...I’ve never, um...” he trailed off, huffing a breath and looking anywhere but at her. 

 

“You, are you a virgin?’ she asked, jaw nearly dropping in surprise. 

 

“Uh...yeah. Is that, I mean, I understand if you don’t wanna-

 

Daisy cut him off, moving into his space and pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

 

“I don’t care. We can take this as slow as you want. I just want to be with you. Is...Is that okay?” she asked. 

 

Peter nodded slowly, eyes wide. 

 

She smiled, sliding her hands up his arms and wrapping them around his neck. His arms instinctively circled her waist, pulling her closer and he gently knocked his nose against hers. 

 

“So...is making out in the dance studio moving too fast?” she asked.

 

Peter smiled, making Daisy’s heart skip when she saw the pure adoration in his eyes. His thumb brushed her cheek and she leaned into it. It had been so long since anyone had touched her like this. Years. Years of being alone and pushing everyone away and--her thoughts faded away as Peter pressed his lips to hers. Oh yeah. She could get used to this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?! I didn't wait until the end of the fic for them to get together?! Who am I? Not even I knew where this chapter was going. Sorry for the delay in posting! Shit hits the fan in the next one, woooo!


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Bucky and Steve say some nasty things to each other that we all know they would never actually say because they love each other way too much, but also they're both dramatic little shits and I needed to take some creative liberties to further the plot. Hope you like it!

Bucky wasn’t brooding. Honest he wasn’t. He was just sitting on the porch outside at three in the morning because he couldn’t sleep. It had nothing to do with Steve and his dumb beautiful face or the fact that he’d broken Bucky’s heart. Okay fine, maybe the reason he wasn’t sleeping was because he was too busy thinking about where he could have gone wrong with Steve. 

 

They’d been on the couch, Steve had seemed okay with how close they were and he had definitely been staring at Bucky’s mouth. All signs pointed to game on. But then Steve had spluttered some excuse and Bucky had practically bolted back to his room and cried himself to sleep. 

 

That was over a month ago, hell almost two months and he and Steve were still walking on eggshells around each other. It was getting ridiculous. 

 

“Buck?”

 

The man in question jumped but didn’t bother to turn around to see who it was. He’d know that voice anywhere. Hydra put his brain in a blender and he still knew it. 

 

“What do you want Steve?”

 

“I...C-can we talk for a second?” he asked. 

 

Bucky grit his teeth, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Now he wanted to talk?

 

“About what?” he spat. 

 

“You know what,” Steve said quietly. 

 

Bucky turned to look at his best friend, ignoring the pang in his heart at how small Steve looked, arms crossed over his chest and shoulders hunched forward. What right did Steve have to look that way? He was the one who had broken Bucky’s heart. Not the other way around. Something inside Bucky snapped. 

 

“What’s there to talk about? You don’t want me. I can’t fault you for that. But I  _ can _ fault you for that bullshit you fed me. “We can’t Buck...I don’t want to...I just can’t.” What the hell does that mean? Why, why can’t you?!” he demanded, crowding into Steve’s space. 

 

“Bucky please, if you would let me explain, I-

 

“You know what, I don’t even want to hear it,” Bucky said, feeling himself begin to deflate. “D-don’t do this to me okay? We can pretend it never happened. We can go back to how it was. God sometimes I wish I didn’t have to know the man you are behind that fucking mask. And I’m the only one who really does Steve. Because no one else wants to. They want Captain America. Not Steve Rogers, ” he spat. 

 

As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he’d gone too far. Steve’s eyes went from wide and confused to fill with fury in less than half a second. Oh shit. 

 

“You’re right. You do know me best. And I know you. You’re a broken soldier Buck. Why the hell would I want you? You’re not worth it.”

 

And just like that Bucky’s entire world collapsed. What he’d said was wrong sure but Steve...Steve drove the knife in so deep it was never coming back out. He was horrified to feel the tears that had been brimming spilling down his cheeks. That seemed to jolt Steve out of his anger too as his face crumbled. 

 

“Oh Bucky. Oh God, I didn’t-

 

“Excuse me,” Bucky said, shoving past him and running to his room. 

 

Steve was left alone on the porch, leaning his head on the railing as his shoulders started to shake. Fuck. Fuck it all. He’d broken Bucky when all he’d wanted to do was apologize. Tell him he’d been wrong. Tell him-

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” 

 

Steve jumped, turning to see Natasha standing there, leaning against the door.

 

“You had no right to call him that,” she said, eyes narrowed. 

 

“I know.”

 

“No you don’t know. He’s been a mess for months Steve. He’s hardly sleeping. Barely eating. I can’t even get him to-

 

“I love him.”

 

Natasha blinked at him. 

 

“That’s not what he told me,” she said, crossing her arms and arching a brow at him. 

 

“It’s the truth. I love him...I’m in love with him. God, for so long now I…” his voice cracked as he hid his face in his hands, soft sobs already beginning to roll through him. 

 

Natasha sighed, guiding Steve to sit on the couch and putting an arm around his big broad shoulders. He leaned against her, sobbing into her shoulder and she rubbed his back. 

 

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to be a bitch. I care him is all. I care about both of you and I heard what he said about you. He went too far. But Steve, you pulled the worth card. You know he’s never felt like he deserved to have you save him.”

 

“I know,” Steve said when he could breathe again.

 

He huffed a watery laugh. 

 

“You know what’s fucked up? I came out here to tell him I love him. I was finally gonna do it. But he was so hurt and he lashed out and you know me, I don’t think before I act and I lost it. It’s not an excuse but, oh God, he’s never going to forgive me.”

 

“He will. And you’ll forgive him too. You two idiots need to have a heart to heart. A real one where you don’t rip each other’s heads off.”

 

Steve sniffled, wiping his eyes. 

 

“He’s in his room. I-I have to talk to him. Now before I chicken out.”

 

“Be gentle Cap. He’s worth it,” she said seriously. 

 

“Believe me. I know.”

 

Steve let out a long breath as he walked down the hall to Bucky’s room. He swallowed hard, knocking on the door. 

 

“Buck? It’s me. I know I...please, open the door.”

 

Nothing. 

 

Steve frowned, pressing his ear to the door. He couldn’t hear anything. No moving around. No crying. No breathing. His eyes widened and he kicked the door in, wincing when it shattered. Whatever, Tony could pay to have it fixed later. His heart dropped. The room was empty. 

 

“Bucky?!” he shouted, looking around desperately. His eyes landed on the open window. Oh fuck, no. 

 

“Steve!”

 

He turned to see Peter standing in the doorway, hair sticking up in every direction. 

 

“Daisy’s gone,” he said, eyes wide with panic. 

 

He wasn’t relieved exactly, but at least if two of them were missing it was less likely that Bucky had left because of Steve.

 

“When did you notice she was missing?”

 

Peter rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a little despite the severity of the situation. 

 

“W-well she was crashing in my room and I had to get up to use the bathroom and when I got back she was just...gone.” 

 

“Shit. Bucky’s gone too. Where the hell are they?!” he asked loudly, not really sure who he was talking to. 

 

“Steve!” Nat said, rushing into the room, “one of my contacts just sent me this.”

 

She held up her phone. On the screen was the symbol for Hydra with a bunch of numbers across it.

 

“What do those numbers mean?” Peter asked. 

 

“I don't know. I’ll get Stark. In the meantime, we need to exhaust every resource. Resources we haven’t even thought of to find out where the nearest Hydra base might be,” Nat ordered before heading for the elevator to find Stark. 

 

“Steve, I-I’m scared,” Peter said. 

  
Steve was visibly shaking. Hydra had their hands on Bucky. Bucky was in danger. So much danger. And if he didnt make it out...he was  _ going _ to make it out. He wasn’t going to let Bucky die thinking he wasn’t worth  _ everything _ to Steve. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Daisy eyes fluttered open slowly, squinting in the fluorescent lighting. Everything was bright, despite the dinginess of the what she now realized was a cell. She sat up slowly, barely given time to take in more of her surroundings before the door flew open and a body was thrown onto the floor. The door swung shut again with a loud clang and she took a hesitant step toward the man on the floor. Her eyes widened.  _ Bucky _ . 

 

“Bucky? Shit. Bucky,” she fell to her knees next to him, rolling him onto his back with great effort. 

 

He groaned, trying to curl into a ball, hands coming up to cover his face. 

 

“No more,” he murmured. 

 

“Bucky? Open your eyes. It’s me. It’s Daisy.”

 

He blinked, eyes falling on her face, eyebrows knit in confusion. His expression was one of surprise as he recognized her and his eyes widened in concern. 

 

“Daisy. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” he asked, sitting up too fast and pressing the heel of his hand to his forehead as the room spun. 

 

“Whoa take it easy. I’m fine. Here let’s get you over to the bed.”

 

She wrapped an arm around his back and helped him to his feet, grunting at his weight as she got him to lay on the bed. 

 

“Hydra. Of course it’s fucking Hydra,” Bucky spat. 

 

“What do you think they want?” Daisy asked. 

 

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

 

Daisy bit her lip nervously, trying to hide that it was trembling. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She’d been foolish. Gotten too comfortable at the tower. Gotten too close to everyone. And whatever attention she’d drawn had gotten Bucky caught in the crossfire too. Bucky’s eyes landed her. 

 

“Oh kid, it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get out of here. Come here,” he opened his arms and she climbed onto the bed beside him, curling into his side as she cried quietly. He stroked her arm. “Come on doll, you really think your boy is gonna give up without a fight?”

 

Daisy sniffled. 

 

“And what about yours? Steve must be knocking down every building in his path trying to find you right now.”

 

Bucky huffed a laugh. 

 

“Don’t hold your breath.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He...he told me I wasn’t worth it.”

 

Daisy pushed away a little so she could look at Bucky’s face. 

 

“He said what?”

 

“Yeah. Told me I was broken and I wasn’t worth it.”

 

Daisy sighed, shaking her head. 

 

“That idiot. He loves you Bucky. He’d kill me for telling you, but you have no idea how much he loves you. It’s disgusting really.”

 

Bucky smiled sadly. 

 

“Be nice if that were true.”

 

“Uh, Bucky, it is true. He told me himself.”

 

Bucky frowned. 

 

“But he said...” he trailed off. 

 

“Look, I don’t know why he said what he did, but that man would do anything for you. You know Steve, he’s a dumbass when it comes to feelings. Can’t express himself worth a damn.”

 

“Well, admittedly I don’t think I helped any. I-I was mad and I told him people only cared about Captain America, not Steve Rogers.”

 

“Oh Jesus, you guys are hopeless.”

 

“Hey! It took you and Peter ages to get your heads out of your asses,” Bucky countered. 

 

Had they not been locked in a cell awaiting whatever horrors Hydra had in store she may have laughed. Instead the thought of Peter brought on a fresh wave of tears. Bucky shushed her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead and rubbing her back. The door swung open, immediately putting a stop to her tears as she sat bolt upright. 

 

“Well, as touching as this is, I’m a very busy man and we have business to attend to,” a man in a well tailored gray suit entered the room. 

 

“Pierce,” Bucky growled. 

 

“Soldier,” he said, smiling cruelly. “Bring them.”

 

“Don’t struggle,” Bucky told her as a man in tactical gear grabbed her arm and dragged her from the room. 

 

Bucky was right behind her, being “escorted” by two more men, with a third bringing up the rear. 

 

They were lead into another room with ridiculously bright lighting, each tied to a chair so they were facing each other. 

 

“Thought you were dead,” Bucky snarled. 

 

Pierce laughed, not hesitating as he backhanded Bucky hard across the face. Daisy winced. 

 

“Who stays dead nowadays?”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“Come on Stark, what the hell do the numbers mean?” Steve asked, pacing impatiently. 

 

“Hey, you wanna do my job, be my guest Capsicle,” Tony snapped, staring at the numbers and reworking them all over the screen. “It’s coordinates. It’s gotta be coordinates, but so far none of them make sense.”

 

“What do you mean?” Peter asked, coming to stand next to Tony. 

 

“I mean there’s nothing there. Most of the locations are in the middle of the ocean. So, unless Hydra’s base is underwater, chances are it’s not what we’re looking for.”

 

Peter nodded, making his way over to Steve who was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. He placed a tentative hand on Steve’s shoulder. The super soldier jumped, looking up at the younger boy. 

 

“We’re gonna find them. We  _ have _ to,” Peter said seriously. 

 

Steve gave Peter’s hand a squeeze and offered him a small, not quite reassuring, smile. 

 

“If I may offer assistance.”

 

Everyone was on their feet in an instant the moment Loki stepped into the room, ready for a fight. 

 

“Relax. I’ve been tutoring the girl as a favor to T’Challa. I’m not here for a fight,” he explained, holding his hands up in peace. 

 

“What’s in it for you?” Tony asked, crossing his arms. 

 

“It may come as a shock to you, but I actually care for the girl. She’s immensely gifted and very open to being taught. I’m rather fond of her actually.”

 

Tony sighed, moving away from his screen to allow Loki to take a look. His eyes flickered across the screen, though it was hard to focus with Peter glaring daggers at him. 

 

“Calm down child. I’ve not interest in her romantically as you do. I’m merely concerned as a teacher and a friend,” he explained. 

 

Peter blushed, crossing his arms and, admittedly, pouting a little. 

 

Loki waved a hand and the numbers glowed gold before rearranging themselves. 

 

“Where do these coordinates lead?” he asked. 

 

Tony hit a few buttons and swiped the screen. 

 

“Huh. That’s...a shopping mall.”

 

“How far from here?” Steve asked. 

 

“About an hour.”

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Steve, we don’t even know if-

 

“Peter and I will go. Nat, come with and be on standby to call in backup. You and Loki stay here and keep looking to see if anything else makes more sense than the mall. We’ll call if we need you.”

 

Knowing it was better not to argue with Steve on this, Tony conceded, watching as Peter and Nat trailed after the captain.  

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“So, I gather you can get into people’s heads, is that right?” Pierce asked. 

 

Daisy glared at him and set her jaw, refusing to answer. Pierce sighed, coming to stand in front of her and giving her a harsh slap across the face. 

 

“I said, is that right?”

 

“Yes,” Daisy whispered. 

 

“Good. How much do you know about the Winter Soldier?”

 

Daisy didn’t miss the way Bucky flinched at the name.

 

“I know enough.”

 

“Do you know about the trigger words?”

 

Bucky’s eyes widened, flickering from Pierce to Daisy. 

 

“No. Please. No,” he pleaded, grunting when one of Pierce’s men landed a swift blow to his stomach. 

 

“Stop! If you want me to cooperate then you’re gonna stop hurting him. Now,” Daisy demanded. 

 

Pierce put up a hand, making the man stop before he could get another hit in. 

 

“Let me be frank. You’re gonna use your powers to get into his head and pull the trigger words out. If you refuse, he gets hurt. Like this,” he nodded to the man again, who pulled his nightstick from his belt and slammed Bucky in the face. “Isn’t that what you’re most afraid of? People getting hurt because of you.”

 

Daisy swallowed hard, eyes trained on Bucky as he took a shuddering breath and spat out a mouthful of blood. 

 

“Daisy please. Don’t,” Bucky managed. 

 

He looked terrified. God, what had they done to him before? She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then turned her gaze on Pierce. As she opened her mouth to respond the door flew open, revealing a very pissed off looking Captain America, flanked by Spiderman. She couldn’t keep the grin from her face. 

 

“You can take your threats and shove them right up your ass Pierce.”

 

It was all a blur from there. Steve and Peter took the men down easily, calling for Nat to back them up with the quickest route out. 

 

“Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay,” Peter said, untying her hands and feet. 

 

Daisy threw herself into his arms and hid her face in his neck, breathing him in. He pulled away to examine her face a moment later, his thumb brushing over her split lip.

 

“I’m fine. Bucky got the brunt of it,” she said, looking over his shoulder. 

 

Steve had Bucky free in a second, cupping his face in his hands. 

 

“Jesus Buck, what’d they hit you with?” he asked. 

 

“Night stick,” Bucky slurred.

 

His cheek was bruised and swollen and there was still a small trickle of blood at the corner of his lip, but he was gonna be fine. 

 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t-

 

“Not here,” Bucky said weakly. 

 

Steve nodded, understanding, and helped Bucky to his feet, half carrying him out of the Hydra base. 

 

“How did you find us?” Daisy asked when they were in the car on the way to the safe house Tony insisted on sending them to. 

 

“A contact of mine,” Nat said. “Sent us some very cryptic coordinates that were a pain in the ass, but Loki figured it out. Then it was Steve’s brilliant plan to go charging in and practically rip apart the shopping mall the base was hidden under and-

 

“Okay Nat, I think they get it,” Steve grumbled. 

 

Nat dropped them off at the safehouse before heading back in the tower to fill in the rest of the team. Bucky pushed his way past Steve and headed down the hall. 

 

“Go get him,” Daisy ordered. 

 

“But-

 

“Now!”

 

“Okay, fine, I got it!”

 

Steve took a deep breath and headed down the hall after Bucky. He wasn’t deterred by the closed bedroom door, but his breath caught when he saw Bucky struggling to get out of his shirt. 

 

“Need a hand?” he asked. 

 

Bucky arched a brow at him, but nodded. Steve moved quickly, tugging at his t shirt and then following it with the long sleeve underneath. His heart dropped at the sight of Bucky’s bruised abdomen. 

 

“Shit,” he couldn’t help but trail his fingers lightly over the injuries, as if his touch could somehow heal them. Bucky hissed, making Steve drop his hand. 

 

The silence between the two of them was awkward and finally Steve couldn’t take it anymore. 

 

“I love you!” he blurted. 

 

Bucky stared at him, jaw opening in shock. 

 

“I mean, uh, that wasn’t what I wanted to say. I didn’t mean-not that I don’t love you! I just, ugh, I’m no good at this Buck but I-

 

He cut off when he realized Bucky was laughing. 

 

“Right. Y-you’re laughing. Okay. I’ll just-

 

Bucky caught his arm before he could get very far and pulled him in, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. Steve’s eyes widened. He tasted like sweat and there was the metallic tang of blood, but it was  _ Bucky  _ kissing him and he didn’t care. 

 

“Talking really isn’t a strength for either of us so I figure, actions speak louder than words right?” Bucky said, smiling shyly. 

 

Steve nodded dumbly, reaching up a hand to gently rub his thumb across Bucky’s cheek. 

 

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it,” he said quietly. 

 

“I know. Me too. 

 

“You’re worth everything to me Buck. I don’t want you to ever think differently. And I-

 

“Shhh. I know Stevie. It’s okay, just...just kiss me. Please?”

 

Steve didn’t need to be told twice, pressing forward and kissing Bucky firmly on the lips. _Finally_. His whole body trembled and it sent a thrill up his spine when Bucky’s breath hitched and he pushed closer. 

 

It didn’t get very far. Bucky was injured after all and despite his insistence that he was fine, Steve still made him lay down. Bucky decided he could live with it, if it meant Steve was curled up next to him, stroking his hair. 

 

“Hey Steve?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I love you too.”


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it folks! Just a quick silly epilogue to wrap it all up. Hope you liked it! My next fic will be a Loki/OC fic because after Ragnarok and Infinity War the Loki feels are strong.

Tony and Loki turned out to be a dangerous combination once they’d gotten over the whole “Loki tried to enslave the human race and brought on an alien invasion” thing. They’d ordered, yes that’s right  _ ordered,  _ the four of them to stay at the safe house until they’d fully neutralized the threat of Hydra. 

 

It wasn’t that bad except...they all kept walking in on each other in, uh, compromising positions. 

 

The first time it was Daisy walking into the bathroom to find Bucky sitting on the sink with Steve standing between his legs and kissing the living daylights out of him. With an indignant screech of “Lock the goddamn door next time!” the incident was forgotten. 

 

Until Bucky walked into the kitchen to find Daisy on the counter with Peter between her legs...on his knees...with his head hidden under her skirt. 

 

“Oh that is way worse than forgetting to lock the door! We eat there!” Bucky cried, covering his eyes and nearly tripping over his feet in his haste to get out of the kitchen. 

 

After that they’d all been a little more careful. Well, they tried to be anyway. But come on, a couple of twenty year olds high on hormones and a couple of super soldiers who had to wait decades to finally be together stuck under one roof? An indiscretion or two was bound to happen. 


End file.
